“I am ready for a return to football”

Listen to Jean-Paul Boëtius’s complete story in his SEG Stories podcast.

“In September 2022, I sat with my physician for the first time. I had felt something abnormal on my body. I was 28 years old, and then the physician says: you have testicular cancer. He seemed more shocked than I was. I don't stress easily; I prefer to think positive. It also seemed not too bad. An operation and I would be in the clear. Or so I thought.”

“In March of this year, I felt a strong pain in the kidney area. The cancer was back and had spread. That was a shock. When I had my first consultation two years earlier, I was alone in the room with the doctor. Now, I sat there with my worried girlfriend and with my little daughter on my lap. A week later, I was on chemo. I knew that this time it would take longer.”

“The chemo went relatively well. Maybe it helped that I kept training. The schedule was always five days of chemo and then two and a half weeks to recover at home. The first two days after each chemo, I was exhausted. Then it slowly got better, and in the second week, I resumed my football training. Just to find out how far my body could go. I trained to stay fit and because I wanted to keep playing football. I also didn't want to look sick, although I did lose my hair. Thankfully, I had hardly any other side effects.” 

“The support I received from those around me has been a huge driving force. I am very grateful to my girlfriend for how she stood by me throughout the entire period. She had to be constantly on alert, taking care of our little daughter. She did that fantastically. I’m glad that we have overcome the illness. I say ‘we’ because our whole family, friends and loved ones were involved. I truly see it as a group victory.”

“An event like this changes your perspective on life. You become more aware of how important health is. After the first time, every day I realised: hey, I’m healthy again, that’s fantastic. But that feeling slowly fades away. Being healthy becomes normal again. Now, that feeling has returned with a vengeance. I’m healthy! It’s definitely a wake-up call. My girlfriend and I have talked a lot about it. The cancer has changed me as a person, I feel stronger than ever.”

“A quick return to football is what I want most right now. At this moment, I don’t have a club. I want to get back into the football world, have that adrenaline kick on the weekend, experience full stadiums. I’m only 30. I have a few good years left in this body, and I want to make the most of it. Although I haven’t been with a club for a year, I’ve been training hard at a football academy. I’m fitter and better now than before, even tactically. I’m ready.”